Adam Hills and Maria Speake meet at Glasgow School of Art whilst studying for a degree in architecture at the Mackintosh School.

History
Timeline

Sep 1988
Sep 1989
GAVIN STAMP
Meet key influencer, Gavin Stamp, History of Architecture professor who gives a strong historical perspective and later becomes an enthusiastic advocate of our efforts.
For nearly 40 years Stamp's column in Private Eye under the pseudonym Piloti waged war on property developers and planning authorities who disfigured British towns through needless destruction and demolition.


Jul 1993
Retrouvius is founded, initially as a vehicle for working with the Glasgow conservation world and local demolition firms. Early jobs include several redundant churches.
Sep 1993
Retrouvius commissioned to salvage architectural elements for the Brooking Collection from Sir Basil Spence's Queen Elizabeth Square Flats, aka “The Queenies”, in Glasgow’s Gorbals, prior to demolition.

Feb 1995
Retrouvius supply items to Trainspotting film set including a pair of reclaimed toilets from the tax office of East Kilbride.
Mar 1996
1995 - 1997
Maria does two terms of maternity cover for Liz Davidson at Glasgow Building Preservation Trust.

Aug 1996
First interior design project.
Newmilns Tower, a C16th house in the heart of the traditional lace making area in Ayrshire, furnished for rental.


Aug 1995
Retrouvius acquire Edinburgh Police Boxes originally designed by Ebenezer McRae circa 1931
Apr 1997
Adam and Maria move to London for family reasons and begin to re-establish Retrouvius.

Sep 1999
Warehouse bought on Ravensworth Road in Kensal Green for trade storage.


Dec 2001
Retrouvius acquire silk screen archive from Cole & Sons and work to reinterpret them with Genevieve Lilley.
Mar 2002
Swiss Cottage Library designed by Sir Basil Spence & Partners in 1964 refurbished; Retrouvius save all original bespoke furniture.

May 2002
Retrouvius begin series of collaborative projects with Nicholas Helm architects.
Sep 2002
Collaborative art based project with Martino Gamper, Reiner Spehl and Timorous Beasties to explore re-use and materiality. We stage a show in our Kensal Green space.

Jan 2003
Collaboration with Race Furniture
Retrouvius commission reissue of Ernest Race's Rocking Chair (originally designed 1948) from Race Furniture.
We source period fabrics by Lucienne Day and others for upholstery.

Jul 2003
Purchase of entire facade of Westmorland slate from Blackfriars office building. An article in The Independent traces the distribution to many clients.

Aug 2007
During the demolition of inter-war coastal bungalows Retrouvius salvage several Victorian train carriages.

Oct 2007
Retrouvius work on salvaging elements from Norman Foster's Great Court development at The British Museum.

Feb 2009
The World of Interiors Cover Story
Complete house for Sam Roddick of Coco De Mer fame with architects Stiff & Trevillion.
photographs by Henry Wilson © The World of Interiors
Nov 2007
Rescue entire facade cladding of granite from World Trade Centre in Canary Wharf — damaged by IRA bomb years before.

Apr 2009
Second building in Kensal Green purchased for storage, display and as a showroom to tell the Retrouvius re-use philosophy

Oct 2009
Retrouvius involved with design of George in Rye boutique hotel with Katie and Alex Clarke.


Jan 2010
Wingfield Priory in Suffolk refurbished according to its grade I SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) listing
Apr 2010
Introduction of National Lottery funding stimulates many museum renovations. Retrouvius get involved in large scale salvaging of museum cabinets.

Jul 2010
Demolition of Heathrow Terminal 2, 1951 by Sir Frederick Gibberd.
Retrouvius purchase entire concourse floor of 2,000 square metres of rare Hopton Wood fossil limestone.
Sep 2010
Four projects in Suffolk for organic food champion William Kendall using best ecological practice.
Sep 2010
V&A pop-up café for London Design Festival using mahogany cabinets from The Natural History Museum
Nov 2010
Off The Floor Exhibition
Exploring 3 salvaged materials; oak drawer bottoms, parquet and fossil limestone with designers Daniel Heath and Fabien Cappello.


Oct 2012
Our first book Reclaiming Style published with Ryland Peters and Small
Jan 2013
Mahogany display cabinets are salvaged from a variety of famous museums in London, they become a regular stock item at Retrouvius.
Apr 2013
Patent Office on Chancery Lane yields a quarter of a km of Victorian adjustable shelving as it relocates to Cardiff and becomes The UK Intellectual Property Office.

Mar 2014
Retrouvius begin the construction of a new build house on a local back-land plot. Intended as a showcase for the Retrouvius philosophy of re-use.
Jun 2014
Significant demolitions arise from CrossRail construction. Retrouvius salvage many copperlight panels and doors from University of the Arts building.

Sep 2015
Complete bespoke space for Lyn Harris & Pefumer H on Marylebone's Crawford Street


Nov 2015
Complete Bella Freud's first shop and flagship store on Chiltern Street

Jan 2016
Retrouvius complete refurbishment of Kingdom Come — a 60 metre plus 1970's Feadship Yacht for Matthew Freud
Jul 2018
25 Years of RETROUVIUS
Nov 2018
Working along side Bella Freud, Retrouvius completes an apartment in former BBC Television Centre.
Mar 2019
2nd Edition of Reclaiming Style: Using salvaged materials to create an elegant home, is published.


May 2019
Maria Speake, Creative Director of Retrouvius Design - is House & Garden's Designer of the Year 2019
Oct 2020
Adam and Maria's home is featured in The World of Interiors
